What is the Difference Between Six Sigma and PMP Certification?

Motorola developed a business management strategy termed Six Sigma to enhance the quality of process outputs in 1981. Six Sigma uses analytical methods to help recognize and eliminate the roots of errors.

Although six sigma is utilized across many industries, it’s been fundamentally adopted by Manufacturing and Financial Services. Organizations that sponsor six sigma train and certify individuals to be masters in these methods. These professionals are named Green Belts, Yellow Belts, Black Belts, and Master Black Belts.

Over time, Six Sigma and project management have established successfully at turning around struggling businesses or making good organizations even great.

Both center specialized approaches to generating better business outcomes. They approach this goal in different ways.

Six Sigma is a methodology designed to identify defects and variation in a process. By practicing Six Sigma tools and techniques, an organization can overcome mistakes, reduce costs, boost efficiency, deliver better products and services and become more competing in the marketplace.

Project management entails creating and executing projects that complete on time, within budget and with an outcome that matches the primary business goal of the project.

Employees who become skilled at Six Sigma earn certifications at different color-coded levels. Those who want to become experts in project management typically get a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through the Project Management Institute.

Achieving either certification can benefit elevate an employee's position within an organization and address them more attractive job applicants for leadership jobs.

To achieve a Six Sigma certification, an applicant require to meet experience requirements, clear a written certification exam and evidence hands-on competency. Below we have listed Six Sigma certifications:

To manage a Six Sigma project, a person generally requires to have reached the Black Belt level.

Six Sigma focuses on a data-driven examination of a method that identifies and excludes errors. Its purpose is to have no more than 3.4 errors per one million opportunities. Getting there demands to leverage a broad variety of different strategies and tools, most involving a comprehensive look at every aspect of an operation. Practicing the tools and techniques of Six Sigma can help develop client and employee satisfaction and improve the entire bottom line.

PMP Certification

The Project Management Institute, established in 1969, offers the PMP certification, generally respected as the most industry-recognized certification for project managers.

A PMP certification indicates that a person has obtained expert level status in using the more than 42 tools of project management, and confirms their competence as a project manager. The PMP Exam is based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, managed by PMI, which includes standardized best practices for approaching various project challenges.

To earn the PMP certification, you need to complete and pass the PMP exam. The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions. However, 25 of the questions that are included in the PMP exam are not graded and utilized to estimate the expertise of the exam taker. The 25 questions are asked randomly throughout the exam. This excellently means that you are graded on only 175 of the 200 exam questions.

The PMP certification comes with a necessity for continuous credentials or CCR. This suggests that the certification holder requires to carry out other extra activities associated to project management to maintain the certification. These activities incorporate public speaking, analysis, writing articles, and others.

The central goal of a project manager is to increase the success rate of projects. That includes key areas such as determining goals with organizational executives, setting and staying within a budget, breaking a project into smaller segments and managing a team to accomplish those tasks, and ultimately finishing the project by a deadline and with a quality result that aligns with overall business aims.

Distinct Differences Between Six Sigma and PMP Certification

Six Sigma projects have a constant control phase, while project management centers on accomplishing a project by a specific deadline

A Six Sigma professional practices data-driven techniques and statistics to recognize and solve a challenge, while a PMP project manager utilizes standardized practices to present a project that satisfies a pre-determined goal efficiently.

A PMP concentrates on raising the success rate of projects. A Six Sigma-certified employee concentrates on finding and removing errors within a particular method.

A certified Six Sigma professional purposes of overcoming wasted time, energy and money on a definite method, while a PMP professional concentrates on how to plan and lead a project.

Choose Between PMP Certification and Six Sigma Certification

The best choice depends on your prevailing position or the job you are looking for and your long-term career aims. If you want to be a project manager, the PMP designation directly confirms your competence and dedication to serving in this role. At many organizations, this certification is compulsory for project managers.

Six Sigma certification is required for professionals working in or seeking quality assurance positions in industries, spanning manufacturing and finance that are valuable users of Six Sigma. As with PMP certification, Six Sigma certification can expand your job opportunities and present you with knowledge and skills that enable you to execute your job properly. Also, your salary rises with each level of Six Sigma certification.

Though, that deciding which certification to earn often isn’t a Six Sigma vs. PMP proposition. They supplement each other, and many professionals prefer to earn both.

How Six Sigma and PMP Certification Work Together

Six Sigma certified professionals can avail from getting a PMP certification, and a project manager can determine benefit with a Six Sigma certification. A Six Sigma professional is a master at finding and resolving a problem, and a PMP-certified project manager is an expert at correctly implementing the project itself. Used together, a practitioner can identify a problem and then use project management certification to assure the solution is executed most efficiently and productively possible.

Someone who has achieved a Six Sigma belt – especially those at the Black Belt level – have become masters at practicing proven methodologies to resolve a problem.

Black Belts are like business analysts; they are brought in to decide why a method is not working right or to its potential. In the beginning, they do not know what they will find. Ultimately, they manage a team that identifies the defects, eliminates them and generates a sustainable, reliable method.

Eventually, employing professionals with both Six Sigma and project management certification may explain a great benefit for any organization. And for the individuals themselves, achieving both certifications can better make them more qualified for high-level positions while working directly on setting and accomplishing strategic business goals.